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Parkland father to Kavanaugh: 'Your life and family are not ruined'

Posted: 9:17 AM, Sep 28, 2018

Updated:2018-09-28 13:17:08Z

By:
CNN

Fred Guttenberg — the father of a slain Parkland student who was rebuffed by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when he tried to shake the judge's hand
the first day of his confirmation hearings — said Thursday that Kavanaugh's life is "not ruined."

"Justice Kavanaugh your life and family are not ruined. Try having a child murdered by a weapon that you refer to as 'common use.'" Guttenberg tweeted. "You will get through this and hug both of your children tonight."

Guttenberg's daughter, Jaime, was killed, along with 16 other students and staff members, when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February.

Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh both testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday in regard to Ford's allegation that he sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. She said Thursday she is "100 percent" sure it was Kavanaugh who assaulted her.

The Supreme Court nominee denies the allegation, and said Thursday in his opening statement before the committee that "my family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations." He also said her claim is part of a "calculated and orchestrated political hit" designed to keep him off the Supreme Court.

On the first day of Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing, Guttenberg approached the nominee, he said, in an attempt to appeal to him "as a dad," but when he extended his hand he was ignored by the judge.

"I don't go home to my complete family anymore — my daughter was killed — and I am really concerned about how he is going to rule on certain things that matter a lot to me," Guttenberg told CNN after the incident, "because I don't want to see other families go through what we've gone through."